County's commuters fare better than others

33% of motorists face lengthy drives

The percentage of drivers whose commute to work was 30 minutes or longer, based on U.S. census data averages from 2005-07:

By county

45: San Francisco County

44: Los Angeles County

42: Riverside County

37: Orange County

33: San Diego County

18: Imperial County

By city

44: Chula Vista

42: Escondido

40: Oceanside

39: Encinitas

39: Santee

35: El Cajon

27: San Diego

SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau

Grumble about traffic all you want. Could be worse.

The latest figures from the federal government show that San Diego County commuters in recent years spent less time traveling to work than motorists in other parts of metropolitan California.

Don't all cheer at once.

“Traffic still seems bad sometimes, especially in the morning,” said Catherine Welch of Normal Heights, who commutes to her office job in Sorrento Mesa most weekdays. “I don't think we have anything to brag about.”

According to U.S. Census Bureau numbers released yesterday, an average 33 percent of county motorists spent at least 30 minutes driving to work. The 30-minute mark is one of the yardsticks that traffic experts use to measure congestion.

In Los Angeles County, it was 44 percent; in San Francisco, 45 percent.

The travel-time figures represent a three-year average of census data collected between 2005 and 2007. The government also surveyed how people get to their jobs and what time of day they leave for work.

The numbers do not reflect the wild swings of the past 12 months, when gas prices peaked and then tumbled.

In recent months, San Diego County transit agencies have reported significant increases in ridership. Meanwhile, traffic data collected in the summer and fall showed a sizable decline in the number of vehicles on local highways.

“I don't drive as much on weekends as I used to, even with the cheaper gas,” said Alma Lenti of San Carlos.

The census indicated that Chula Vista commuters had some of the longest workaday drives of any county residents.

About 44 percent of Chula Vistans had to drive a half-hour or more each day to get to work, up from 38 percent in 2000. The data were collected before the late 2007 opening of the South Bay Expressway, which Caltrans officials say has helped ease congestion in the region.

The Chula Vista figures compare with 42 percent in Escondido, 40 percent in Oceanside and 35 percent in El Cajon.

City of San Diego residents had some of the shortest commutes, with only 27 percent traveling 30 minutes or more to work. The statewide figure was 37 percent.

Most of the local travel-time numbers have not changed, or increased only slightly, since the last detailed census in 2000.

Commuters in rural Imperial County had among the shortest drives in Southern California, with only 18 percent traveling 30 minutes or more.

Other highlights from the 2005-to-2007 census averages in regard to commuting:

The number of San Diego County residents who worked at home ticked up slightly since 2000, to 6 percent from 4 percent.